Since January, 2010, this blog has been dedicated to year-round coverage of the New York theater scene and, particularly, the annual Tony Awards race. The site features commentary on each production and its chances at nominations or wins, with keen insights into voter trends, leading to expert predictions.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

There are a few casting updates that have come out in the past day or two upon which I wanted to give you all a quick updates. First of all, Denis O'Hare has been announced as the Baker in Shakespeare in the Park's production of Into the Woods. O'Hare is a Tony winner for his supporting turn in Take Me Out back in 2003, and has appeared in the TV series True Blood for a number of years.

A Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, possibly Tennessee Williams' greatest play, is in the works. Tony winner Scarlett Johansson has already been announced to be in talks for the role of Maggie the Cat, a role made famous by two-time Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor. Today, it was announced that film star Chris Pine is in talks to star as Maggie's husband Brick -- the role played by Oscar winner Paul Newman in the film version of the play.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The New York Times has written a great profile of James Earl Jones, a Best Actor Tony nominee (for the fourth time in his career) this year for his leading performance in Gore Vidal's The Best Man. Check out the article at the link below to read it!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Playbill.com has posted an article about the truth and fiction in the musical Evita. Michael Luongo, who wrote the artice, looked at three questions: What is the Casa Rosada? Who really was Augustín Magaldi? And what ever happened to Eva's body? I have posted a link to Luongo's article below, but will give you brief answers to the above questions here. The Casa Rosada is Argentina's Presidential Palace, but the Argentine president does not live there. Augustín Magaldi was a tango singer in Argentina who probably never knew Evita. And, as for Evita's body? It was moved or raided so many times in a story so fantastic that it deserves to me made into a megamusical. Oh wait. It was.

Monday, May 28, 2012

As anyone who watches Glee can tell you (or, in the case of his teenage fans, scream at you) actor Telly Leung is a fantastic performer. But what most people don't know about him is that he is a great human being. He recently sent me this article about 8 awesome people who have never won a Tony Award, reminding us about how much politicking there is to who gets nominated and who wins ... and about how little it all means. One example to whet your appetites? Barbara Streisand. Wanna read more? Please check out the link below.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Two time Tony-winner Katie Finneran, who won for her supporting roles in the play Noises Off and the musical Promises, Promises, will be joining the cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of Annie. In the revival, she will be recreating another Tony winning role -- that of the orphanage matron Miss Hannigan -- originally created by Dorothy Loudon in the 1977 original. According to Playbill.com, "The news leaked late in the week, and producers finally went public, reluctantly revealing their ace casting on the Friday before a holiday weekend." Finneran said in a statement, "Miss Hannigan is one of the great musical comedy roles and I cannot wait to play her, in all of her deliciously evil glory. I played Hannigan in my parents' living room when I was eight years old and the chance to play her in this new Broadway production is a dream come true."

Friday, May 25, 2012

In yet another development in the life of the upcoming Broadway-bound musical Prince of Broadway, a retrospective of the life of producer and director Harold Prince, the show has both a new set of producers and a new set of dates. After losing its original producers recently, a new crop of producers has taken the reigns, including Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, and Thomas Viertel. Also, though the show was originally announced for a fall 2012 opening, the show is now expected to receive a fall 2013 Broadway berth. The show will be directed by 21-time Tony-winner Harold Prince, co-directed by five-time Tony-winner Susan Stroman, and will feature a book by Tony-nominee David Thompson.

"We are honored, thrilled and excited to be producing Prince of Broadway," said Steven Baruch on behalf of the producing team. "Hal Prince has the most important legacy in the American theatre and he continues to create great work for the stage. Hal and his creative team have completed an extraordinary new musical, which we want to give the best possible Broadway production."

Baruch added, "After reviewing everything ranging from the schedules of the creative team, theatre availability, advance group sales needs, among many other elements, we have determined that the optimum time for the show to open on Broadway would be the Fall of 2013."

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The performances that will appear on this year's Tony telecast have officially been announced by Playbill.com. Notable among these performances is the appearance of Godspell on the list. Traditionally, only the shows nominated for best musical and best revival of a musical are permitted performances on the telecast. Since Godspell did not make the cut, having been entirely shut out (receiving zero nominations), it is quite unusual for it to have been granted a spot on the show.

In addition to selections from the Tony-nominated new musicals, including the uplifting Disney musical Newsies, the critically hailed screen-to-stage adaptation of Once and the new Gershwin musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It, the 66th Annual Tony Awards will feature performances from a host of this season's musical revivals.

Playbill.com has learned that two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters, the recipient of the 2012 Isabelle Stevenson Award who created the role of Sally in the Kennedy Center and subsequent Broadway production of Follies, will introduce the segment spotlighting that Tony-nominated Stephen Sondheim-James Goldman musical.Danny Burstein, a Tony nominee for his performance as Buddy Plummer, will perform Sondheim's "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues."

A medley of songs from the Tony-nominated revival of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, featuring 2012 Tony nominees Audra McDonald andNorm Lewis, will be performed. Four-time Tony winner McDonald will kick off the sequence with the classic Gershwin ballad "Summertime," followed by Lewis' rendition of "I Got Plenty of Nothing," the Kittiwah dance sequence, Tony nominee David Alan Grier's "It Ain't Necessarily So" and the McDonald-Lewis duet "I Loves You Porgy."

The Tony-nominated revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evitawill offer the rousing Act Two number "And The Money Kept Rolling In," which features Grammy winner Ricky Martin and the musical's ensemble as well as leading lady Elena Roger.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A pineapple hovers over the false proscenium at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in perhaps the most famous display of the fruit since it was serenaded in Cabaret. But, of all the things that could have been placed in such a conspicuous place, why a pineapple? This is, after all, a tale of pirates and Peter Pan. According to the play's co-director, Roger Rees, "The pineapple is a universal symbol of welcome and New England sea captains would put a
pineapple on their front stoop when they from the south seas to
welcome their friends and community to their home." For more information on the pineapple, check out the article below on Playbill.com.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Last night, I had the great pleasure to attend a taping of Studio 360, a weekly NPR radio program about the arts and culture hosted by Kurt Anderson. This week's episode will include an interview with James Cordon, currently a Tony nominee for his performance in Broadway's One Man, Two Guvnors. During the taping, Anderson and Cordon discussed topics as wide ranging as improvisation and the fears of doing live theater, the differences between TV and the theater, fatherhood, and weight loss. Check your local listings to find out when the show will air on a radio station near you.

Today's article is multipurpose, giving updates on a number of shows
around town. We will be talking about the upcoming Broadway revival of Annie and announcing a production coming to Second Stage.

First up is news about the forthcoming Broadway revival of Annie.
The original production opened on April 21st, 1977 and won the Best
Musical Tony Award. The production also launched the careers of a
number of girls who played the title role, including the original
Tony-nominated star Andrea McArdle, as well as the likes of Emmy-winner
Sarah Jessica Parker. The current production has announced that it will
begin previews on October 3rd in advance of a November 8th opening night
at the Palace Theatre.

In more exciting news, I am thrilled to announce that my friend Lindsay Mendez, who recently departed the Broadway company of Godspell, has just gotten her next gig. She will be appearing in the Second Stage production of Dogfight,
which is based on the 1991 film of the same name. She will appear in
the leading role of Rose (played by Lili Taylor in the film) in a
production to be directed by Joe Mantello and choreographed by two time
Tony nominee Chris Gatelli. Previews will begin June 27th with opening night set for July 16th.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Playbill.com has reported that live films of two Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals, the blockbuster Phantom of the Opera and its sequel Love Never Dies, will be returning to US cinemas May 21st and 23rd, respectively. The screenings, films of the live shows, will be presented by Fathom Events and is being billed as The Phantom of the Opera -- The Complete Story. The first of the pair is the 25th anniversary concert staging of Phantom that occurred at Royal Albert Hall last October, while Love Never Dies was filmed with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess in the lead roles in London in 2010. Check your local listings for times and locations.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Playbill.com has reported that Disney will make a film version of Peter and the Starcatchers, but that this version will be based on the Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson novel rather than the play, which is also based on the novel. The screenplay will be written by Jesse Witgutow, who wrote the screenplay for It Runs in the Family. The Playbill article says, "The film is a separate entity from the critically praised Broadway production, which dropped the 's' from its title and goes by Peter and the Starcatcher."

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Tony-winning Broadway musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, has posted a closing notice for June 24th. The musical received two 2011 Tony nominations, for leading actor Tony Sheldon and for Best Costume Design, winning for Costume Design. The show had its one year anniversary on March 20th, and still stars its original trio of Tony Sheldon, Nick Adams, and Will Swenson. Upon closing, the show will have played 23 previews and 526 regular performances.

Two new productions have been announced for the Main Stem. The first is a musical adaptation of the 2000 movie Bring It On, which will hit the St. James Theatre this summer. The show will be directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler (who won a Tony for his choreography of In the Heights a few years back), and will play a limited engagement from July 12th through October 7th. Opening night is set for August 1st and was announced by Jordan Roth, president of the Jujamcyn Theaters (the organization that owns the St. James Theatre), via Twitter.

The second newly announced production is a musical adaptation of the 1998 Cinderella story, Ever After, which starred Drew Barrymore in that film's lead role. Producers Scott Landis and Philip Morgaman made the announcement yesterday that the show will arrive on Broadway in the 2013-2014 season. According to Broadway.com, "Inspired by the 1998 film of the same title that starred Drew Barrymore, Ever After was first announced to have its world premiere in 2009 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco prior to an anticipated Broadway run. Smash and Seminar scribe Theresa Rebeck was originally attached as co-book writer, with Doug Hughes (Doubt) as director." Now, 2012 Tony nominated director Kathleen Marshall is attached to direct the musical.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The New York Times wrote a great profile article of Lincoln Center and the new theater they are opening "that will feature work by emerging playwrights, directors, and designers. The 112-seat theater ... aims to develop new talent, feed the company's two larger theaters ... and attract younger, more diverse audiences."

The article goes on to describe how, "In making this commitment, Lincoln Center Theater joins nonprofit companies all over the country", including the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Public Theater, "that are creating modest black-box theaters to present scaled-down productions by rising artists and to build a new generation of patrons."

Monday, May 14, 2012

The upcoming Broadway revival of The Heiress has a new star. A spokesman for the production, which will star Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain in the lead role of Catherine Sloper, will now also star Dan Stevens as her love interest. Stevens is best known to American TV audiences as Matthew Crawley in the PBS miniseries Downton Abbey. The Heiress will also star Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner David Strathairn as Catherine's father. The production will be directed by Tony nominated playwright and director Moisés Kaufman.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

On May 10th, from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium during Opry Country Classics, country music legend Loretta Lynn announced that she has chosen Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated actress Zooey Deschanel to star as Lynn in the Broadway musical adaptation of Coal Miner's Daughter. It was from the same place that, in 1979, that Lynn announced that she had chosen Sissy Spacek to portray her in the film adaptation that won Spacek her Academy Award.

“It’s a long way from Butcher Holler to Broadway in New York City. I never imagined I’d see Coal Miner’s Daughter on a movie screen, and now I can’t believe it’s going to be on a stage for people to see,” said Lynn. “I’m going to be right there in the front row. And I know Zooey is going to be great – she sings and writes her own songs just like I do, and we even have the same color eyes!”

“Loretta Lynn and her music have been inspirations for me for as long as I can remember,” added Deschanel. “She is a true legend and to be chosen to play such an iconic woman is a dream come true.”

Friday, May 11, 2012

Leap of Faith caused quite a stir recently when it announced that it would close before the Tony Awards. It is the first musical in almost 50 years to be nominated for Best Musical and still manage to close before the Tony Awards (the last one was Skyscraper in 1965). It is also the first musical since 1996's Swinging on a Star to be nominated for the Best Musical Tony without receiving ANY other nominations. Given this unique combination of Tony trivia, maybe it makes sense that it is closing so soon, but the New York Times wanted to give this a closer look. Check out Patrick Healy's article about the anatomy of a flop below.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Broadway may be getting its next Hollywood star in Tom Hanks, who is in talks to make his Broadway debut next year in a Nora Ephron play about Daily News Columnist Mike McAlary. The play, called Lucky Guy, would be directed by George C. Wolfe should negotiations be favorable.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The 50th anniversary Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying has set a closing date. The production, which originally starred Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Tony-winner John Larroquette, now stars Nick Jonas. The closing notice came through the pipes May 8th with a closing date set for May 20th. After playing it's closing performance, the show will have performed a total of 30 previews and 473 regular performances.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Tony nominated Best Musical Leap of Faith, which opened on April 26, 2012, has posted its closing notice. The show will close on May 13th after only 24 previews and 20 regular performances. The musical received only one Tony nomination -- in the category of Best Musical -- and seems to have been having trouble finding an audience ever since.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Broadway.com has compiled ten fun facts about the 2012 Tony Awards. Let me know if you can come up with any others!The One and Only:Leap of Faith is the first musical since 1996's Swinging on a Star to receive a Best Musical nod as its sole nomination.

Linda Lavin Has the Tony Touch: After originating the roles of Silda Grauman in the off-Broadway run of Other Desert Cities and Hattie Walker in the Kennedy Center revival of Follies,Linda Lavin opted not to follow the shows to Broadway in favor of starring in the Vineyard Theatre's off-Broadway premiere of The Lyons. Things worked out just fine for all parties! Lavin not only scored a Best Actress Tony nomination for The Lyons' transfer, but her Broadway replacements Judith Light (Other Desert Cities) and Jayne Houdyshell (Follies) also earned nods.

Off and On: All four of this year's Best Play nominees are transfers from off-Broadway venues: Clybourne Park (Playwrights Horizons, 2010), Other Desert Cities (Lincoln Center Theater, 2011), Peter and the Starcatcher (New York Theatre Workshop, 2011) and Venus in Fur (Classic Stage Company, 2010).

Whoopi Goldberg Gives Good Roles:Ghost star Da'Vine Joy Randolphis the third actress to receive a Tony nomination for a role originally played on film by Tony winner Whoopi Goldberg. Patina Miller nabbed a nomination for Sister Act in 2011, and LaChanze took home a Tony for The Color Purple in 2006. Another film character voiced by Goldberg, the sassy hyena Shenzi, is also currently represented on Broadway in The Lion King.

Double the Fun: Alan Menken is the first composer to have two of his shows (Leap of Faith and Newsies) nominated for Best Musical in the same year. Andrew Lloyd Webber also joins Stephen Sondheim as the only other composer to have two shows (Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar)nominated for Best Revival of a Musical in the same year.